The subject technology relates to a vascular introducer, and more particularly, to a vascular introducer having a peel-away sheath with pitched peel lines and to a method of forming the same by way of extrusion.
Introducer devices have been employed for inserting catheters, guide wires, leads and the like into patients. A typical procedure provides for insertion of a dilator or needle encased within a sheath into the vasculature of a patient. After insertion, the dilator or needle may be removed leaving the sheath protruding from the patient's vein. The sheath is then removed. To remove the sheath, the sheath may be split or peeled away along two diametrically opposed score lines. Alternatively, the sheath may be slit open using a specialized cutting blade.
Examples of splittable or peelable introducer sheaths are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,860 to Rocamora et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 7,192,433 to Osypka et al., the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. Typically, splittable introducer sheaths are prepared by forming straight score lines along the length of the sheath using a mandrel. An example of a device for slitting an introducer sheath is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,469 to Osypka, the disclosure of which is also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Typical slitter devices include a body or handle portion with a cutting edge or knife secured thereto such that the cutting edge may be manually guided to cut the sheath.